High index facet bounded α-Fe2O3 pseudocubic nanocrystals with enhanced electrochemical properties: Zn2+ ion assisted solvo-hydrothermal synthesis

Pseudocubic alpha-Fe2O3 nanocrystals were grown by a surfactant-free, low temperature, solvo-hydrothermal process and characterised by XRD, FESEM, TEM, FTIR, Raman, XPS and UV-vis analysis. These alpha-Fe2O3 nanocrystals were bounded by high index facets {012}, {014 {210} and {210} having an average edge length of 120 nm and a dihedral angle of 85 degrees. The growth of high index facet bounded alpha-Fe2O3 pseudocubic nanocrystals was contributed by the structure inducing properties of Zn2+ cations (ZnCl2) added to the mother solution. This work also sheds light into the low impedance and enhanced electrochemical activities of high index facet bounded alpha-Fe2O3 pseudocubic nanocrystals, which exhibited good electrochemical sensing response towards aqueous ammonia.